A Different Life
by prestobrutalhoney
Summary: AU: A modern take on the characters. Elizabeth takes a big risk, Jack has a reputation to live up to. Follow their journey finding themselves and ultimately each other. **This is my first attempt at writing fiction so any constructive reviews would be helpful.**
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A new beginning

Elizabeth shifted in her seat and looked out the window. There was another 30mins left before her plane was to due to land. _Doesn't seem to matter how often I fly, it's always my least favourite part of travelling_ she thought. The rest of the fight was rather uneventful and spent most of it wrapped up in all the new changes happening in her life. This was her first big break so to speak. She was nervous about how her family would react once they found out she had decided to pursue acting. As luck would have it she decided to take a chance and try out for a new series and ended securing a supporting role. This ended up being one of best decisions of her life thus far.

Jack was running late. His plane had been delayed and he ended up missing the last flight of the night. Needless to say by the time he reached Vancouver he was feeling agitated. "Figures the first day of a new job I end up running late," he mumbles to himself. He had a family name to uphold, coming from a long line of actors and directors. The last thing he needed was more negative press.

Lost in thought he didn't notice the woman getting off the escalator before it was too late. In a matter of seconds there was suitcases everywhere. "Hey! Watch where you are going," he glared at the woman who had just run into him. He didn't have time for this, the director was expecting him 2hrs ago. "Wow, I'm sorry but I believe you ran into me. Most people apologize NOT yell at the person they just knocked over," Elizabeth responded. She didn't have the energy to deal with this guy's crappy attitude

"Whatever, next time watch you are going. I don't have time for this!" He responded in the same gruff tone he'd used previously and made no attempt to help Elizabeth with her suitcases. By the time she had gathered up her things the man was gone.

"What a jerk!" she said out loud to no one in particular. Despite the rather rude interaction with the strange man she wasn't going to let it bring her down. _This is an amazing opportunity,_ she smiled and made her way to the arrival gate to collect the rest of her luggage.

A few hours later and Elizabeth had finally settled into her hotel room. " _Guess this will be home for the new 6months,"_ she said aloud to herself as she stared out one of the windows. The hotel was well situated, close enough to downtown and had lovely view of the pacific ocean. The rest of her evening was spent unpacking and prepping for her early morning meeting with the director and fellow cast-mates. It took a few hours but Elizabeth managed to fall into broken sleep. Images of a new life and all that she left behind filtered their way into her dreams.

Jack had finally managed to get a hold of the director, Kerry , they agreed that it would make the most sense to meet up in the morning. Jack let out a sigh of relief. He had been waiting at the baggage claim for 20mins and still hadn't seen his checked items. " _This day just keep getting better and better"_ he bemoaned to himself.

3hours later than planned Jack made his way up to his hotel room. He took a quick inventory of the space, close to downtown and view of the ocean. "If this is home for the next few months, I think I can get used to it." Jack said to the empty room. It took no time for him to crash, falling into a deep sleep. The days events had finally caught up with his body.

"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!"

Elizabeth woke up with a start trying to quickly locate and silence the obnoxious sound coming from her phone. She quickly got showered and dressed making her way down to lobby with 20mins to spare. Given the extra time she had to wait and the fact her nerves were on overdrive she decided to grab a coffee from Starbucks just outside the hotel.

 _"At least this will keep me busy."_ She thought to herself.

Just as Elizabeth had left the lobby the elevator doors opened and Jack walked out. " _So far this day is off to a good start"_ he mused to himself, " _I'm ready early and I have the chance to grab a coffee."_

Elizabeth looked up from the newspaper she was reading just in time to see a tall man walk in. He looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't place him. It wasn't until she heard him order his drink that it finally clicked. " _I KNOW that voice! That's totally the guy from the airport."_ She could feel the anger from yesterday bubbling to the surface. Typically Elizabeth wasn't one for confrontation. In fact most of her life was spent running from it.

Today was different, _This is a new me,_ she thought. _I need to start learning how to stand up for myself._

By the time she had talked herself into saying something Jack was already out the door. Grabbing her coffee and purse Elizabeth quickly hurried out the door.

"HEY, EXCUSE ME!" Jack spun around to see young woman standing before him. She looked vaguely familiar and none too impressed.

"You ran me over in the airport yesterday. Not only that, you _YELLED_ at me and didn't even stop to check to see if I was okay." By now Elizabeth was feeling somewhat better that she had taken the opportunity to speak her mind.

Still the stranger from the airport hadn't attempted to say anything and continued to look at her sheepish grin that Elizabeth found quite irritating.

Jack had finally put two and two together. This woman yelling at him in the street was the one he had knocked over yesterday. In all honesty he had completely forgotten about their meeting. Far too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

After what seemed like hours, Jack spoke, "Look I'm sorry. Yesterday was really terrible. I was late for a new job and frustrated. Clearly I took that out on you and our suitcases." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't make it a habit of running people over in airports." Jack tried to break the tension a bit. The woman's mood seem to soften a bit after his apology. She was slender and well dressed. Jack inwardly chastised himself, now was not the time to be checking out this woman.

Elizabeth broke through his thoughts. "Umm….well okay then, thanks for the apology." Clearly she wasn't expecting that reaction. "I'm Elizabeth," she smiled shyly. This tall man with piercing green eyes seemed to intrigue and frustrate her at the same time. _It must be my nerves and maybe a bit too much caffeine_ Elizabeth thought to herself.

"I'm Jack" The man interrupted her internal dialogue. He offered her a smile. Elizabeth glanced down at her phone. 7:05am…. "Oh no! I'm late." Before Jack could even form a sentence she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: Adventure awaits_

 _Nothing like cutting it close,_ her inner dialogue chastised her. As luck would have it Elizabeth made her way back to the hotel just in time for her ride to pull up. An older blonde woman stepped out of a white van to greet her. "Nice to formally meet you Elizabeth. I'm Abigail Stanton., the production assistant for this shoot."

At first glance, Abigail appeared to be a sweet woman. She had a kind energy that made others gravitate towards her. Something about her already had Elizabeth feeling calm and comfortable. She got the feeling that there was more about her than her cheerful personality let on. "We are just waiting on your co-star," Abigail cut through Elizabeth's thoughts. Before she could say his name a rather disheveled man appeared before them. "I'm Jack Thornton, so sorry for keeping you waiting," Jack gave them a sheepish smile. _Late twice in a row, you have to get yourself together man. This is not the way to make a good first impression. "_ No issues Jack, Elizabeth and I were just chatting. It's great to finally meet you, we spoke on the phone last night. I'm Abigail by the way" she stuck out her hand to shake Jack's.

Jack turned to the younger woman. "Hey, I'm…..wait a minute. Didn't we just meet?"

In some strange twist of fate, the Elizabeth standing before him was, in fact, the very same woman whom he had accidentally run over in the airport. The young brunette looked less than impressed. Y _ou've got to be kidding me, this guy….again, s_ he thought to herself. She forced a smile and stuck out her hand to greet him. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth, nice to meet again….Jack."

By this time Abigail had ushered them into the van so they could make their way to the movie set. Elizabeth was lost in thought for most of the drive. She couldn't figure out why Jack irritated her so much. Something about him just got under her skin _._ However, at this point, Elizabeth wasn't ready to face what that feeling actually meant.

Taking this job had been a huge risk for her, it had meant turning down a prestigious university degree. Most of her family thought she was crazy for picking up and leaving. It made this new life change that much more heavy. _It's now or never. If I don't take this risk I will never do it. I'm so tired of playing it safe._ She had also left behind her boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend now. If she was being honest with herself, they had been done long before this big shake up.

College sweethearts that moved into together because "it was the logically next step." They had drifted so far apart that the passion and love had long since disappeared.

Jack quietly stole a glance at Elizabeth as she looked out the window. He couldn't figure out what her deal was. _I apologized for the whole airport fiasco. I don't understand why she still seems mad at me._ Having someone respond this way to him was a new concept to Jack. As the class clown, he was generally well liked by most. Never had an issue meeting new people or making connections. Jack vowed to try and make up their first meeting to Elizabeth. He wasn't sure what her story was but he was genuinely interested to find out. Something about her intrigued him. She seemed quietly confident but at the same time came off unsure of herself.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of activity for Elizabeth. She had spent most of her time in the costume department firming up measurements. This whole experience was very surreal, never in her life had people spent time fussing over her. If she was being honest the whole process left her feeling a tad overwhelmed and anxious. _I sure hope this is something that you will get used,_ her inner thoughts were flying into overdrive.

Elizabeth struggled with being the centre of attention, ironic given the fact she had chosen to start acting as a profession. For her, the process was more about the character and their story rather than standing out in the crowd. A person's story always intrigued Elizabeth, who could spend hours sitting in a cafe watching people pass her by.

The day finally ended just after 7 pm. Abigail was waiting for the van to take both Elizabeth and Jack back to their hotel. Jack and Abigail quietly chatted together recapping and setting up tomorrow's schedule. Elizabeth was too wrapped up in her own thoughts and frankly exhausted from the day she had. _Goodness, this is only the first day and I'm already so tired. We barely did anything. Hopefully, I can make it work for the next 6 months._ The sound of a car horn brought her back into the present moment. Before she knew it they were back at the hotel.

"Tomorrow morning we will pick both of you up from the same location at 6:30 am." Abigail ran through the pair's schedule. "Thanks again for the great day Jack and Elizabeth, I look forward to working with you over the next few months." Abigail gave Elizabeth a hug as she stepped out of the vehicle. "You look like you had a tough day sweetie. I promise it will get easier," she spoke softly to Elizabeth who returned her gesture with a tired smile.

"Thanks, Abigail, I know you're right. It's so easy to let my mind start running away from me."

As Elizabeth made her way towards the lobby, she was suddenly aware she wasn't alone. "Hi." Jack offered a gentle smile. "Did you want to grab a cup of coffee or tea? We have a pretty big day tomorrow so I thought it might make things a little smoother if we were a bit more comfortable with each other." The sentence came out a lot more rushed than Jack had intended. _Way to scare her off,_ his inner voice mused _._ Much to Jack's surprise, Elizabeth agreed, "We do have a lot to go over tomorrow. This is my first job so I want to make sure everything goes well. I guess I could spare an hour." _There's no harm in giving him a second chance, I mean there is a slight possibility I was being too hard on him,_ Elizabeth thought.

With that, the two of them made their way to a quiet cafe just outside their hotel. "Sure is a beautiful city," Elizabeth commented, trying to push herself to make small talk. "I've never been to the west coast of Canada before." Jack shot her a sideways glance. "Oh really, I've been coming up here almost every year since I was a teen. My grandparents had a cabin on Vancouver Island, it's about an hour away from here." He was trying to will Elizabeth to open up to him a little bit. 6 months is a long time to work with someone that you don't like. After they had ordered their coffees Elizabeth suggested they take a walk, they had a passed a bench overlooking the ocean. That was not something Jack was prepared for. "That umm sounds great" he responded, coming off a little bit nervous.

 _I'm reading way too much into his tone. Classic case of overthinking EVERYTHING again Elizabeth,_ she inwardly rolled her eyes. _"_ So is this really your first acting job? I recall you mentioning that back at the hotel." Jack ushered her to side down beside him on the bench. "That would be correct," Elizabeth responded in a soft tone. "I've always been interested in stories and people. An opportunity sort of fell in my lap. The rest is history you know?" she glanced at Jack with a soft smile. He nodded in agreement. "I know that feeling. I'm super thankful that I managed to land this job." Jack looked towards the water. "It sure is peaceful out here," he sighed. "For a big city, I can't believe how quiet it is at night." They shared a quiet comfortable silence. _It's so easy to get lost in the ocean,_ Elizabeth was letting her mind wander again. The sound of the crashing waves broke through her thoughts. She glanced down at her phone. "Oh my goodness it's already almost 10 pm! As much as I would love to stay out here, 6:30 am is so early. Plus I'm exhausted from today." Jack stood up to meet her "No problem, I had no clue we'd been out here that long." He fell into step with Elizabeth as they made their way back to the hotel.

As they stepped out of the elevator the young woman finally spoke, "thanks for tonight Jack. I feel kind of bad with how I reacted this morning. I guess I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. It wasn't fair of me to take that out on you." Elizabeth offered a shy smile. Jack waved it off as if it wasn't an issue. "I know all we all have off days. It's hard to be perfect all the time, you know like me," he joked. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, laughing. She wished him good night and they made their way back to their own rooms. Both filled with excited for the days to come.

The evening walk with Jack had Elizabeth feeling better. She had been so anxious at the end of the day that she was worried she'd made a huge mistake taking this job. _I guess he's not so bad after all. He seems like he really does care about other people and wants to make them. Maybe this wasn't such a terrible idea after all._ It didn't take long for her to drift off into a peaceful sleep.

It took Jack a little longer to settle that evening. _She seems a little lost and unsure of herself. Even though I think taking such a big risk was super brave. I hope that this new adventure helps her solidify her confidence._ He wasn't looking for a relationship yet something about Elizabeth was drawing him in. At this point he wasn't sure what it meant but was curious to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Things change yet stay the same**

Elizabeth woke up feeling refreshed and excited for the coming day. As much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, the walk with Jack had drastically improved her mood. They had hardly talked, yet she already felt at ease with him. She was feeling much more confident with her decision to step away from medical school and take such a huge leap of faith.

 _I would have felt that way with anyone. Clearly, I just needed someone to vent to,_ she reasoned. However, she wasn't the type to vent to _just_ anyone. Her whole life Elizabeth had kept herself closed off, mostly out of habit. Being vulnerable and showing her true self to others was hard. Only a few select people had made the cut. It was curious that Jack seemed to be one of them. She pushed her thoughts aside and got ready for the shoot. Her 6:30 am meeting was looming and she wanted to grab a coffee before Abigail showed up.

Jack was determined to be early this morning. Especially given the last two days he didn't want to mess up this opportunity. " _They," say there's no such thing as bad publicity. Clearly "those" people haven't had their name dragged through the media._ He inwardly groaned. A couple years ago Jack had developed a reputation for being "difficult" which wasn't exactly accurate. Seems everyone had a phone these days and an argument with a director had been taken way out of context to put things lightly. The whole thing seemed ridiculous now as they were still on good terms.

He made it down to the lobby much earlier than he had planned. _I think I will grab a coffee this morning. May as well make the most of my time this morning._ Jack's thoughts drifted to Elizabeth. Their walk the previous night had left him feeling out of sorts but in a good way. It was just a walk, nothing more. He couldn't figure out why he was struggling with keeping her out of his head. On impulse, he decided to grab her a coffee also. _It's just something nice to do for a co-worker. There's no need to read anything into it,_ he convinced himself.

Elizabeth made her way down to the front of the hotel. Just as she was leaving, she noticed Jack walking towards her. "Hi Elizabeth," he smiled "Bought you a latte. I think it's the same one I heard you order yesterday. If not I will totally trade my coffee." He was rambling now. "Aww thanks so much Jack, that's really sweet of you. It's almost like you read my mind." He handed her the latte and they made their way back towards the hotel.

"So are you looking forward to today?" Jack spoke first, "I think we get to start running through the script. Should be exciting!" Elizabeth was quiet. For some reason, her nerves seemed to be creeping back in. _I'm probably just worried about messing up. It makes sense that I would be so unsure of myself. This is something I've never done before._ "Umm, yes I think so," she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself which was something Jack picked up on. "You know, I always get a bit wrapped up in my head and stressed when I start a new job." He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. Elizabeth gave him a soft smile, "Thanks, Jack. That does help me feel a bit better. I always worry that it's me who feels so out of place."

Abigail was watching their interaction from the curb. _There's some kind of connection with those two. I see why they were picked for the parts. They certainly have great chemistry together. "_ Hi, Jack and Elizabeth. Nice to see you both bright and early this morning." Breaking up their little chat. She motion for the two of them to follow her out to their car. Today's drive was much more relaxed than yesterdays. All of the passengers were feeling a lot more comfortable with each other.

"So Abigail, how long have you been working in the entertainment industry?" Elizabeth questioned.

"It seems like a really interesting career." Abigail paused for a moment before responding.

"Going on five years now. Hard to believe that much time has passed." She took a breath before continuing.

"About 8yrs ago my husband and son were killed in a car accident. It took me a long time to find my way after that."

Elizabeth gave her an empathic look, her blue eyes filling with tears. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry Abigail. I hope I didn't upset you, I have no clue." The young woman inwardly scolded herself for being so clueless. Almost as though she sensed Elizabeth's inner critic Abigail reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.

"No harm was done at all. How could you have known? It's not like a walk around wearing a t-shirt," She smiled and tried to lighten the mood a bit. "Plus I do enjoy talking about them. It's a form of therapy for me, so please don't beat yourself up."

Elizabeth's impression of Abigail had been right. _She's such a lovely person. It breaks my heart that she had to experience such tragedy in her life._ There was defiantly more to her story than first means the eye. Abigail's comforting presence made Elizabeth want to get her know her better and she had a feeling they would become great friends.

Jack spent most of the drive lost in his own world. Half listening to Abigail and Elizabeth chat and half daydreaming. Last night he had spent some time reading the script and going over how he would approach the scene run through. This particular one required Elizabeth and him to be in close contact. By the time they had arrived at the set, Jack was feeling very unsettled. _This is not a usual thing for me. What the heck is my deal today? Maybe I had too much coffee._ If he was being honest with himself he had barely had touched the coffee he'd purchased that morning.

"You were quiet this morning Jack," Elizabeth broke his train of thought. "Usually you are the one chatting while I'm lost in thought."

"Well you know it's a big day today, I was just trying to see how well I can remember my lines." He tried to play it off, not wanting her to catch onto the fact he was feeling so nervous about today. Elizabeth smiled, accepting his answer and didn't push any further. With that, the two of them were ushered towards the main trailer by Abigail.

"See you guys later tonight." she waved to Jack and Elizabeth and made her way in the opposite direction.

They spent most of the early morning doing informal read-throughs of the script. The scene in question required Elizabeth and Jack to be in close contact. The characters, Sara and Eric, were confessing their feeling to each other. Seemed strange to Jack that they started with this particular scene but the director Kerry threw out something about "breaking the ice." Either way by the time the afternoon rolled around Jack was feeling particularly out of his element.

Jack grabbed Elizabeth hand and pulled her towards him. Running his fingers through her hair. Except he wasn't Jack anymore, he was playing the part of Eric. Even though this wasn't supposed to be real Jack could feel the fire slowly building within his body. _This is an intense an intimate scene, it makes sense that I'm feeling so strange about it. Plus I just met Elizabeth, we are practically strangers. What an awkward position for people who hardly know each other to be in. This is totally just my nerves on overdrive._

Elizabeth felt her breath catch in her throat when Jack started to pull her closer. _Well, that's interesting, never really felt like this before. Can't blame that on the corset,_ she mused hoping the joke would shake her out of this trance-like state. This scene had her feeling all kinds of feelings she couldn't make sense of. She quickly pulled herself back into her character Sara, who was supposed to be enamored with Eric. Elizabeth looked in Jack's eyes, _he certainly has pretty eyes._ Here she was getting lost again. _Focus Elizabeth! You are playing a character. This isn't real, just a story made to entertain people._

"You know I haven't been the greatest with words Sara. It's hard for me to let down my guard and express my feelings." Jack reached up and brushed some hair out Elizabeth's face. "These past few months have been the best ones of my life. I can't believe how deeply I've fallen in love with you."

Elizabeth was still in Jack's embrace. Enjoying the feeling of being close to him, but not wanting to admit that yet. Jack gave her a quizzical look before someone shouted

"CUT!"

It took a minute for Elizabeth to come back to the present. "UGH!" She covered her head with her hand, "I'm sorry I can't believe I just stood there like a doofus. I feel so stupid! I can't believe I completely forgot my lines."

Jack laughed, "Doofus, eh? You know what it happens to the best of us. Plus I hear it's easy to get lost in my lovely personality." He gave her a friendly shove and laughed at her shocked expression.

Kerry, their director walked up to them. "Hi guys, that was a great run through today. I think we are just going to call it for now. It's been a long day for will just pick this up tomorrow"

Both Jack and Elizabeth nodded in agreement. It had been a long day and they were both starving. The two of them quietly walked back to meet Abigail and head back to their hotel. Elizabeth was feeling emotionally exhausted. She wasn't sure what had happened during the scene together and wasn't sure if she particularly liked it either. _I just got wrapped up in my thoughts. Momentarily lost in the romance between the characters. It's nothing more than that._ Growing up Elizabeth was always one to shy away from the stereotypical romance notions. Claimed they were too clique and "so over done." She wasn't the type of girl who needed that kind of relationship. Well, it turns out she might just be that kind of woman now. Elizabeth quickly pushed that thought aside.

They said their goodbyes to Abigail and headed towards the lobby together. Jack turned to her "Hey Elizabeth, did you want to grab something to eat before we head to bed?"

"Not sick of me yet Thornton? We seem to be making a habit of ending our night together." The words fell out her mouth before she could stop herself. Jack laughed it off, "what can I say, you are a pretty likable person."

Before they knew it the night had got away from them again. Thankfully Wednesday's shoot wasn't an early call otherwise they'd be in big trouble. The conversation flowed easily at dinner Jack couldn't believe how well they got along. Underneath her quiet exterior lived a very smart, sarcastic and beautiful woman. As they walked towards Elizabeth's room, she turned around to wish Jack a good night. She looked up at him and could feel her palms start to get sweaty. They stood together, toe to toe, so close Jack was worried that Elizabeth could hear his heart racing. He couldn't make sense why he was so connected to her already. Before his brain even registered what was happening, his hand was slowly running through her hair, pulling her closer to him. Everything Elizabeth had planned to say had completely left her mind. _Oh my goodness, he's going to kiss me. Why is he going to kiss me?This feels….right. But I can't risk messing up this work opportunity._ She placed her hand gently on his chest. "We can't Jack. You are super sweet and this feels amazing. But I just got out of a relationship, it wouldn't be fair to you." She looked up at him. Trying to convey her concerns with her eyes. "I really don't want this to change things between us."

"Oh…Uh…Don't worry about it Elizabeth. Clearly, I was just wrapped in the moment, not thinking clearly at all." Jack stepped back a bit making the space between them less intense. He ran his fingers through his hair before speaking. "Let's just forget this happened. Maybe we can start over? Hi, I'm Jack Thornton, nice to meet you."

Elizabeth smiled and shook his hand, "Hi, Jack. I'm Elizabeth Thatcher. Please don't worry about it. It was partly my, fault anyways."

With that she wished him goodnight and made her way into her hotel room. _Well that was an interesting way to end the evening. I really hope I didn't hurt his feelings. He's been so sweet the last few days, but I'm not ready to let anybody in so close just yet."_

Jack walked slowly down to his room. "Ugh, what an idiot!" He said out-loud to the empty hallway. _I can't believe I let myself get so caught up in the moment. Way to scare her off. We only just met and are still getting to know each other._

As he stepped into his hotel room Jack decided to shower, hoping that would help shake him out of his current state. It took a bit but he finally managed to fall into broken sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack's hands were tangled up in Elizabeth's hair. She was so close to him, she swore she could hear his heart beating. _I could spend hours getting lost in his touch._ Suddenly Elizabeth was pulled out of her head as Jack's lips gently connected with hers. It was soft and gentle yet intoxicating. She could feel herself melting into him.

"Ring Ring Ring…"

Elizabeth woke up startled and disoriented. "Hello?" she answered somewhat breathless.

"Oh Elizabeth, sorry to wake you," Abigail apologized. "I just wanted to give you the heads up that both you and Jack won't need to come down to set today. There have been some changes in shooting schedules with the other actors. Enjoy your day off! I'll see you tomorrow bright and early."

"Uh thanks, Abigail," was about all Elizabeth could get out still feeling dazed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh also, would you mind passing along the message to Jack." Abigail asked, "I figured it would be quicker than me calling." Before Elizabeth could answer the other woman had already hung up.

Still feeling very unsettled from her dream Elizabeth slowly stood up. The clock read 5:45 am. Normally they had to meet Abigail down in the lobby by 7 am. Now tasked with the job of telling Jack they didn't need to be a work today, she mulled over the possible options. Given her current state, she opted to send him a text. She wasn't ready to face him or hear his voice just yet. Before she could talk herself out of it, she grabbed her running shoes and headed down to the lobby. Exercise, especially running, had always been her go to when she was feeling out of sorts and confused. This morning she particularly needed a way to escape her thoughts about Jack. _It was just a dream. Nothing more than that. There's no reason that I should read more into it._

Jack woke up to the sound of his alarming ringing. When he looked at his phone he noticed a text from Elizabeth. After the way their night ended he felt his heart start to race again, suddenly feeling very anxious. He wasn't sure how he was going to face Elizabeth nor get through their scenes together today. _I hope she's not mad at me. I can't believe that I tried to kiss her._

"Hey Jack, Abigail called and said we don't need to come in today. Enjoy your day off"

He let out the breath he was holding. Even though he slept awful the night before, Jack couldn't stay in the hotel room anymore. He quickly changed into shorts and a t-shirt and headed down towards the gym.

Elizabeth slowly made her way back towards her hotel. She was feeling a lot better than this morning. The dream that had shaken her up so much was almost pushed aside. As she made her towards the escalator, she nearly ran into Jack.

"We have to stop meeting this way." Jack laughed and gently grabbed her arm to steady her. Elizabeth felt an intense rush of emotions and looked up at him. She quickly pulled herself together and laughed a bit. "Well, maybe YOU should watch where you are walking Thornton" She playfully elbowed him in the ribs.

Jack's eyes finally met Elizabeth, without realizing it he had been avoiding her gaze. He opened his mouth to speak and paused for a moment. _Get it together man, just tell her how you feel. Stop overthinking everything._

"Elizabeth I wanted to apologize again for last night. I way overstepped and really crossed a line. I hope that we can continue to be friends." He looked at her a shy venerability she hadn't seen before. _I knew he just got wrapped up in the moment. He clearly just likes me as a friend. That shouldn't bother me anyways because I'm not looking to start up a relationship._

"So, Elizabeth…." Jack's words brought her back to the present moment. "Oh sorry, seems I'm still tired from my run this morning. No hard feelings at all, it was what it was. I would 100% love to be your friend Jack."

Jack looked relieved and Elizabeth could sense that the tension between them had dissipated significantly. The two parted ways once they reached their hotel floor. Both feeling much better than they did the after the previous night.

By the time Elizabeth had showered and gotten dressed for the day it was only 9 am. _Not sure what to do with myself today, it's so strange to have free time. I'm so used to being busy._ On a whim, she decided to text Jack to see if he wanted to grab breakfast. Normally she was perfectly happy to spend time alone but for some reason today she really wanted company.

Now was that company was specific to Jack? She wasn't quite ready to admit just yet.

Jack was sitting on his bed flipping through one of the local hotel guidebooks when he heard his phone beep. Much to his surprise, he saw a text from Elizabeth asking if he wanted to have breakfast with him. _Well, I guess I didn't screw things up too badly if she still wants to hang out with me. Maybe this will help things be less awkward between us,_ he reasoned with himself.

They agreed to meet in the lobby in 20mins, both starving from their early morning workouts. Given the fact that neither of them had cars, they opted to walk to a place close to their hotel. Elizabeth had actually run past it earlier in the morning. It was a super cute cafe with an amazing view of the ocean. Despite their awkward encounter this morning the conversation flowed easily with the two of them. The smell of fresh coffee and pancakes wafted through the air as they sat in the restaurant.

"Any plans for today Elizabeth?" Jack questioned, still reading over his menu. Elizabeth had a sip of her coffee before answering. "Honestly, at this point nothing. I've never visited Vancouver before. I find I get overwhelmed when there are so many places to see. I wouldn't know where to start my day." Jack nodded and smiled. _The way she gets so flustered is so cute. Ugh, Jack STOP IT! Just focus on being her friend._ The waiter interrupted his thoughts as he came to their table with their food.

"Wow, this looks amazing!" Elizabeth proclaimed "Is it sad that I'm this excited for banana pancakes?" She said with a laugh.

"Pancake really are the best. I don't blame you for being so happy." Jack grinned at her. "You know…" he paused for a moment, "I have been here a few times before. If you wanted I could show you some of my favorite places?" he asked tentatively, not wanting to cross any boundaries.

Elizabeth's eyes lit up, "That would actually be fantastic! Are you sure you don't mind? I'd hate to impose on your plans. I don't imagine we get many days off like this." She was rambling now, it seemed to happen a lot when she was in the presence of Jack.

"It's no trouble at all, I'd love to do it. Visiting tourist attractions isn't much fun alone anyways. The place I am thinking of is a bit drive, but there's a shuttle bus that would take us there." He commented taking a drink of his orange juice. "The place I'm thinking of is Capilano Suspension Bridge. I love it there! So peaceful and really interesting." Jack continued, "Plus we are out of peak tourist season so it shouldn't be too crazy."

Elizabeth nodded, "That sounds like a great idea. Can we just head back to the hotel quickly so I grab my camera?"

It always surprised Jack how quickly the time passed when they were together. Yet no matter how long it was, he always craved more. He had felt similar ways before but with Elizabeth, it was a whole different level.

They made their way back to their hotel, Jack stayed downstairs while Elizabeth quickly ran up to her room. When she returned they made their way towards the convention centre where they would catch the shuttle. Elizabeth couldn't believe how beautiful Vancouver was. She had grown up in Boston so was used to living near the ocean. Though the pacific northwest was provided much different scenery than the east coast. As they walked Jack was quiet, mostly watching Elizabeth. As silly as it was, he felt a rush of emotions as he looked at her snapping photos of the city. It was almost as though he was seeing everything for the first time through her eyes.

"I know I said it before, but the ocean gets me every time. I don't think I could live in a place that wasn't close to water." Elizabeth sat down on the edge of a bench.

"I can't believe what a beautiful city this is. You know you see it in pictures, but actually being here….wow"

"Honestly that's one of my favorite things about acting, the travelling." Jack spoke, "Well not so much the constant traveling, but the opportunity to visit new places," he corrected himself. "The never being in one place can get pretty lonely. Doesn't really leave much time to build lasting connections." Jack confided, surprising himself. He did not mean to share something that personal.

Elizabeth smiled knowingly. "That makes perfect sense. There are always positives and negatives to every job."

After a 20min walk, they reached the shuttle bus. As luck would have they arrived just as the next bus was pulling up.

Jack gestured to Elizabeth, "After you, milady." This made her burst out into laughter. She rolled her eyes at him. "Staying in character I see." Anyone watching would think they had been together forever. The constant flirty banter just came naturally to them.

Elizabeth spent most of the drive staring out the window taking in the scenery, making the odd comment to Jack along the way.

They pulled up to Capilano Suspension Bridge around lunch time. Before Elizabeth could stop him Jack had already paid for their entrance fee. "Thanks, you know you didn't need to do that. I was planning to cover your cost since I dragged you out with me. Please let me buy you dinner." Elizabeth insisted.

"It's really not a big deal at all Elizabeth," Jack remarked, "I couldn't say no to a free dinner. Looking forward to it."

The two of them made their way throughout the forest. Jack was quieter than usual, he couldn't get over how much he enjoyed spending time with Elizabeth. It had been a long time since he had felt this way. _Even with Lucy, I never felt this comfortable this quickly. We were barely even friends._ Jack's ex-girlfriend, his longest and most serious relationship ended 8months ago. To say she crushed him would be an understatement. Turns out she really liked his cousin, so much so that had married the guy 1month after they "broke up."

"Earth to Jack," Elizabeth gently touched his arm. This brought him crashing back reality. "You okay? Seemed like you were in another place for a bit." she looked at him with concern in her eyes.

"Uh…sorry about that," he faked a yawn, "that early morning must be catching up with me. I guess I'm more tired than I realized." Elizabeth responded with a smile and nod, acknowledging that she too was starting to feel the effects of their early start. He was thankful that she didn't push any further. Even though he was feeling connected to her, he wasn't quite ready to open up about his past.

The conversation continued to flow with the two of them. Both shared some personal, but not too personal, stories about their lives and family. If he was being honest Jack felt a bit intimated that Elizabeth had been accepted into medical school. He barely made it through his first year of university before dropping out. School was more about hanging out with his friends than getting an education.

Elizabeth enjoyed listening to how Jack grew up. He came from a family of actors and they all seemed to value creativity. Whereas for her, it was all about getting good grades and living up to her families expectations. There was no room for dreaming or stepping outside of the box career-wise

.

The pair headed over the bridge towards the entrance. "Well, I'm beat!" Jack announced "Are you ready to head back to our hotel? Maybe we can just grab room service or something? My feet are killing me."

Elizabeth agreed. However, before she could respond the bridge started shaking causing her to lose her footing. She had been doing okay with heights up until this point. Maybe it was the exhaustion or maybe it was Jack presence, either way, she let her guard down. She could feel the panic build and tears started to form in her eyes. Before she even realized what was happening, Jack's arm gently wrapped around her waist and was walking her to solid ground. It was a simple gesture but for Elizabeth, it meant more than she could put into words.

Jack was still holding onto her waist, not wanting him to let go just yet. She finally gathered the courage to speak, "I feel like such an idiot. Heights have always been a bit of anxiety trigger for me. It's so silly….I"

Before she could finish, Jack cut her off. "Don't you dare think that. Everyone has their own fears and worries. It wasn't a big deal. Also, I wish you would have told me about not liking heights. I feel terrible that I took you here in the first place."

It was now apparent to Elizabeth that they were still very close to each other which brought her right back to her dream this morning. _He's still touching me. I can't believe how safe this makes me feel….wait. Give your head a shake Elizabeth YOU ARE JUST FRIENDS._ Elizabeth took a step back and looked up at him.

"Honestly Jack, I'm glad you did. This is something I would have never done on my own." She confided, "I think it really has helped my fear."

By the time they got back to the hotel they were both equally famished and exhausted. Given their current state, room service seemed like the best option.

"Did you want to come up to my room. I have little sitting area. Maybe we could eat dinner and watch a movie?" The words tumbled out of Elizabeth faster than she had anticipated.

Jack agreed but first headed back to his room to change into more comfortable clothes. _This has been one of the best days I've had in a long time. I can't believe how easy it is to just be myself with Elizabeth. This could get me into some big trouble if I don't keep myself in line…._

Just after Jack returned to Elizabeth's room their food was brought up. They both settled onto the couch and quietly enjoyed their meals. The silence was comfortable, neither felt that they had to force conversation.

Once they finished their dinner, they decided to watch a movie. One of the old James Bond movies was the only option both agreed on.

Just before the movie started Elizabeth spoke, "Thanks for playing tour guide today Jack. I really had the best time." Jack turned towards her with a smile, he was about to say something but she continued, "I was really worried about taking this job. Now I'm so glad that I did. It's been such an amazing few days."

"I'm pretty happy you did too. It's not every day that I get to hang out with someone who yelled at me in a coffee shop." He smirked at her and laughed a bit, hoping she'd sense his sarcasm. Elizabeth just rolled her eyes, "Shut up Thornton. You know you deserved it anyway. Plus you yelled at me first." She gave him a playful shove.

The two settled into the movie, it didn't take long for exhaustion to take over. Jack noticed Elizabeth's breathing start to even out and felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned to face a sleeping Elizabeth. _She looks so peaceful….and beautiful….I could stay like this forever._ Suddenly she shifted in her sleeping, trying to get more comfortable. This brought Jack out of his head, back to the present. He slowly stood up and placed a pillow under her head. As he made his way out of the room Jack glanced back at the sleeping woman.

"I'm already done for….it's been 3 days and I can't get her out of my head." He sighed to himself and headed back to his hotel room.


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth was startled awake by the sound of her alarm. It took her a few minutes to get her bearings and figure out why the room looked so different. She quickly realized that she was sleeping on the couch in her room, the blue screen of the TV added a dim light to her room. As she got up slowly to shut off her phone, she noticed a piece of paper on her nightstand.

 _Elizabeth, Thanks so much for letting me play tour guide yesterday. It was such a fun day. Looking forward to more adventures together._

 _Jack xo_

Elizabeth smiled to herself. It really had been an amazing day with Jack. It had been a long time since she had felt that comfortable with a man. Even over the course of her 2-year relationship with Zack, she never felt like she could truly let her guard down.

With that, she made her way to the shower and got ready for the day. One bonus of being an actress was not having to worry about hair or makeup, it made getting ready for the day that much faster. Though Elizabeth had never been one for spending hours in the bathroom. Her makeup/fashion style could best be described as a low key. She quickly grabbed her bag and headed downstairs to meet Abigail and Jack.

As she walked into the lobby her phone rang. She seemed a bit surprised given the time but answered it anyway. "Hello Lizzie," Elizabeth said down and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Uh….Hi Dad….How are you and mom?" she asked tentatively. It had been a week since they last spoke. Let's just say that chat didn't end on the most positive note.

"We are doing well, hoping that now you've had a taste of this new life you will reconsider your choice." As she listened to him, she could feel the frustrating building up. "Dad, you know I cant just up and leave. I made a commitment and I plan on seeing it through. Actually, I'm really enjoying it so far, thanks for asking." By now Elizabeth was angry. Growing up she always felt pushed to follow in her father's footsteps. She had the grades and brains for the medical field but as the schooling got more intense the louder the voice in her heart got. She craved creativity and a life less traveled. Her dad sighed, "Well that's that then. I guess mom and I will talk to you when you get back." Before she could respond the line went dead. Elizabeth sat in a chair staring at her phone, a mix of sadness and frustration still bubbling inside. _I wish they could let me live the life I WANT to live…._

Jack woke up before his alarm. Even though he wasn't ready to admit that his feelings were anything more than friendship, he was really looking forward to seeing Elizabeth this morning. The last 24hrs with her had been so great, she had an energy about her that just radiated warmth and kindness. He never felt judged or less than when he was with her. _It's going to be tough when we finally wrap up this movie. It's only the first week and I'm already can't get her out of my head._

When Jack stepped out of the elevator, he saw Elizabeth. Even from far away he could tell something wasn't quite right. _She looks so broken._ It was almost as though Jack was feeling everything thing she was feeling. All he knew was that he wanted to stop whatever was causing Elizabeth so much distress. Before he an opportunity to talk to her Abigail walked in followed by two others.

Elizabeth looked up to see Abigail and two unfamiliar faces making their way towards her. Following closely behind them was Jack, who caught her eye and gave her a soft smile. It was almost as though he knew she was feeling upset. _Am I really that easy to read? I don't know if I can handle a long day of filming when I feel this awful._

"Hi Elizabeth and Jack," Abigail broke through Elizabeth's thoughts. "I wanted to introduce you to a couple other staff members," gesturing to the man and woman standing before them. The man spoke first, "Hi guys, I'm Lee this is my wife Rosemary." The blonde woman smiled and shook hands with Jack and Elizabeth. The group exchanged casual conversation on their way to the van. Rosemary, or Rosie as she referred to herself, was a makeup artist that was joining the movie a bit late. Lee worked in sound and had already made a connection with Jack. Elizabeth could hear bits of their conversation, something about football, but she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to really notice. _I just need to make it through the day without crying._

Jack made the effort to find a seat next to Elizabeth for the drive. After seeing her face this morning, he was determined to get to the bottom of her sadness. Lee, Rosie and Abigail were happily chatting in the front row, leaving Elizabeth and Jack to themselves. By the time Jack got settled he looked up to see Elizabeth staring out the window with the same dejected expression on her face. Before his brain even realized what he was doing, he reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Hey….are you doing okay?" He asked quietly as Elizabeth turned towards him offering a smile, but her eyes gave away the hurt she was trying to hide. "Oh you know, just silly family stuff." She didn't want to get into it for fear she might start crying. Plus if she downplayed it then maybe the awful feelings would go away. "Elizabeth," Jack's soft and caring voice sent a shiver down her spine, "you look like you might burst into tears, I highly doubt it's silly. You know you can talk to me if you want to." He hoped she might take him up on the offer to open up, but didn't want to push her too much.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked down at her lap, Jack's hand was still resting on hers. _Just the smallest touch and I feel myself relaxing, not sure what these feelings are about…_ "Well, I can't remember if I mentioned anything about my parents." Jack nodded as she continued, "Let's just say that they weren't too happy to hear that I wasn't going to attend medical school. I think my father said something along the lines of me 'wasting my education on a frivolous hobby.' He called today hoping that I was reconsidering my decision." She let out a soft sigh and finally gathered the courage to look up at him.

 _I haven't always seen eye to eye with my family, but they have always supported my decisions regarding my career. Though I am familiar with disappointing them…._

Jack's eyes met Elizabeth and he offered an empathic look, "I'm so sorry Elizabeth, that must feel awful. I wish they could see what I have seen the last week. The passion and excitement you have is rubbing off on me." He could see her start to relax and the sadness behind her eyes started to wane a bit. Suddenly it became very clear to him that his hand was still resting on hers. Not wanting to appear like he was taking advantage of her, he casually brought his hand up to scratch his head.

It was a few moments before Elizabeth spoke again, "Thanks, Jack, I feel a lot better. I know I shouldn't let it get me down but it's hard you know?" He nodded in acknowledgment, "I'm sure they will come around, it just may take some time." Elizabeth hoped he was right. She hated the idea of disappointing anyone, especially her family. However, she couldn't spend years in school when her heart just wasn't in it. The two of them fell in a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive to set. Jack spent time taking in the scenery, summer was coming to a close and the leaves had already started changing to lovely shades of orange and yellow. Every once in a while he stole a glance at Elizabeth, even though she had assured him that she was feeling better he still wasn't quite convinced.

The rest of the morning was a whirlwind of activity, between makeup, costume fittings, and scene set up Jack and Elizabeth barely had time to speak to each other. After a super busy morning, Elizabeth was happy it was finally lunch time and she had a chance to relax. She had the opportunity to chat with Rosie a bit, turns out she was a new makeup artist on set. Rosie spent the morning telling her all about the different movies she'd worked on over the last few years. Her energy and excitement for life helped Elizabeth forget about last bit of sadness that hung on from her morning phone call. _Experiences like this are why I took this job._

Jack found himself walking up to a big group during his lunch break. Elizabeth laugh had pulled him in just like it always did. As he approached the group he suddenly started to feel nervous. _This feeling seems to be showing up a lot more lately. Shake it off Jack, she's just a good friend, no need to freak out._ Though this feeling seemed to be getting more and more intense as he spent more time with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth turned to see Jack walk up the stairs. "Hey, Jack, nice to see you again. Feel like it's been forever." She joked, "What a crazy morning. I can't believe how busy our days are!" He smiled at her, loving the way the little things made her eyes light up in excitement. _She seems in much better spirits than this morning._ "Some days can be super busy and others are more hurry up and wait." He chuckled a bit, "It really is worth all the craziness though! I love that acting allows me to be creative and become someone else." They spent their lunch walking around the set taking the beautiful fall day. Elizabeth couldn't get over the how colourful the trees were. Suddenly she had a face full of leaves, the shocked look on her face made Jack double over in laughter. "OH MY GOSH THORTON! I can't believe you just did that." She stood there picking leaves out of her hair. He was just about to apologize when Elizabeth pushed him into a giant pile of leaves. "I told you not to mess with me." She stood over him with her hand on her hip, an unimpressed look on her face. Jack laid still taking her in, the attitude she was displaying contradicted her period dress. S _he is so beautiful, I'm in so much trouble…._

Elizabeth reached her hand out to help Jack up. "Why don't we call a truce," she smiled. "Plus I'm pretty sure Rosie will kill me if I wreck my makeup. She sure is a firecracker!" He slowly climbed his way out of the pile. "Fair enough. I know when to admit to defeat." Jack laughed and removed the last few leaves off of his vest.

The two of them made their way back towards the trailers as it was almost time to start rehearsing the scene planned for the afternoon. This particular scene was a bit more intense and involved Jack and Elizabeth spending hours in a damp cave. _Another long day in close quarters…oh, my he sure smells good. Geez, Elizabeth pull yourself together. He is a friend and a co-worker, nothing more. Opening up your heart to someone else isn't worth the risk._ Jack sensed that Elizabeth was lost in thought again. Though there had been glimmers of her happy self, the phone call she received from her parents really upset her. _Is it bad that I'm angry with her parents and I haven't even met them? I just wish they could see how much their disapproval is hurting their daughter._

It was almost 9:30 pm by the time Abigail showed up to take Jack and Elizabeth back to their hotel. As much as Elizabeth wanting to chat with her, she was beyond exhausted. There seems to be something about Jack that allowed her to let go of all her tension. Before she knew it Jack was gently shaking her awake, softly saying her name. "Hey, we are home." She yawned and gave him a sleepy smile. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you…again." Jack laughed, "At least you didn't drool on me this time." They continued their banter up to their hotel rooms. As they reached Jack's door, they both stood looking at it awkwardly. Much to Elizabeth's surprise, she found herself wrapping her arms around Jack giving him a goodnight hug. Jack seemed a little taken aback but quickly recovered, returning the hug. As she pulled away, their eyes met and Elizabeth gave Jack a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Night Jack," She whispered softly and made her way down the hall towards her room leaving a rather shell shocked Jack staring back at her. When Elizabeth finally reached her room she was a bundle of nerves and adrenaline. _I can't believe I just did that! I hope he doesn't think I'm an idiot. Friends do that too right? Clearly I'm way overthinking this…_

It took no time for Jack to fall asleep after the way the night ended he was excited to see Elizabeth the next morning. _Maybe there is something there, then again I've been known to completely miss the mark._ He wasn't sure where this journey would take them but each day he was growing more and more curious to find out.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack slowly opened his eyes. Even though he had slept soundly the previous night he felt exhausted and his body hurt. There was a very noticeable headache starting to make its presence known and the light from the window sent the dull throbbing into overdrive. _I can't be getting sick, there's no time for this. Yesterday was an intense day I guess it was harder on my body than I thought._ He took a deep breath and made his way to the bathroom, hoping a hot shower would shake off the fatigue that was overtaking his body.

When Elizabeth greeted Jack downstairs in the lobby she noticed he looked off, a little pale and exhausted. He wasn't his usual chatty self. This, of course, sent her mind into overdrive after how their evening had ended. _Oh my goodness, what if I totally messed things up last night. What if thinks I want more then a friendship…._

"Hey Jack, are you feeling okay? You look a bit….tired." Elizabeth tried to convey her concern. Jack chuckled a bit, "Geez thanks, Thatcher….It's been a busy week. I think it's just finally catching up with me."

He downplayed how crappy he was still feeling. "Why don't we grab a coffee before Abigail gets here?"

Elizabeth agreed and the made the short walk to Starbucks. _Hopefully coffee helps perk me up. That shower didn't do much at all. Actually, I think I feel worse now._

The drive to set was quiet as Elizabeth took in the scenery. The leaves had all but fallen off the trees now and had been replaced with a white frost. She noticed that Jack's breathing had slowed and turned to glance over at him. He was fast asleep and looked awful. _Poor guy looks terrible, I wonder if he's getting sick. This is so unlike him, usually, he won't stop talking._ When they reached the set, Elizabeth took it upon herself to gently wake up her sleeping co-star.

"Hey, Jack…we are here" She softly spoke, running her hand along his arm. He started to stir and slowly opened his eyes and Elizabeth's fuzzy form came into view. His headache was back with vengeance making it difficult to move.

"You sure you're okay, you really don't seem like yourself," Elizabeth asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired and have a really awful headache that I can't seem to shake. I'm sure I'll be good once the coffee kicks in."

The two of them made their way towards the set in a comfortable silence. Neither felt the need to speak to each other.

Jack was thankful that most of the morning was spent inside doing read-throughs for the next week. Both Elizabeth and himself had the next few days off which he was counting the minutes to. By the time the early afternoon hit Jack was exhausted. It now felt like he was swallowing glass and was alternating between hot flashes and chills. When he reached his trailer it took all of his energy to make it onto the couch before he crashed, falling asleep.

Elizabeth spent her lunch chatting with Rosemary and Abigail. Both women had such a lovely energy about them that she really connected with. It was nearing 2 pm when one of the producers popped his head into the makeup trailer.

"Hey, have you seen Thornton anywhere?" Steve asked. Elizabeth never really understood the whole last name, nickname thing. _Must be a guy thing_ , she mused.

"Elizabeth?" Rosemary's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Have you seen Jack recently? I saw him this morning and he was looking more pale than usual." Rosemary was anything if not blunt and to the point.

Elizabeth paused, thinking….

"Actually no I haven't seen him since we wrapped up the read through before lunch. Did you want me to go check on him? I was planning on heading back to my trailer anyway."

"That would be great actually. We are basically done for the day, I just wanted to go over next week's schedule before he's off." Steve was already heading out the door presumably on to his next task.

Elizabeth made her way over to Jack's trailer. The room looked dark which she thought was strange. _It's the middle of the afternoon, I hope he's okay. He did seem a little off today._

She knocked on the door and waited. After about 2mins there was still no answer so she made her way into the trailer. Even in the dark room, she could make out the outline of a sleeping figure on the couch. _Oh man, he really must be sick or something….I don't think I have ever seen him fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon._

As she made her way over him, Jack shifted in his sleep mumbling something she couldn't quite make out.

"Jack," she spoke softly gentle grazing his arm. "You need to wake up." It took a minute before he opened his eyes. _Where am I? This isn't my hotel room…why is Elizabeth here with me?_ The blank look on his face concerned her and she knelt down beside him. "Are you okay? You seem really out of it. This is the second time today I've found you napping."

He gave her a sheepish look and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could form a sentence Elizabeth's fingertips brushed over his forehead. "JACK! Your forehead is on fire." She brought her hand back to his forehead confirming he did, in fact, have a fever. Jack's mind was all over the place, he felt awful. It hurt to talk and his head was pounding. Yet having Elizabeth there brought him a sense of comfort and peace that he wasn't accustomed to. _She looks so worried. I didn't realize that me sleeping would be such a cause for concern. Man does she look beautiful in this light…I wonder if…_ A coughing fit sent him back to reality. He winced and finally opened his mouth to speak. "Sorry, I thought it could just walk it off. As the day went on I kept feeling worse and could barely keep my eyes open when we had lunch. I sat down on the couch and just passed out." Jack started to sit up a bit and Elizabeth moved beside him placing her hand on his without evening thinking.

"Steve was looking for you. I think we are basically done for the day here, you aren't going to be very useful in this state anyway." Elizabeth gave him a playful shove. "Let's see if we can find Abigail and head back to the hotel. You need rest and maybe some soup." Jack thought about putting up a fight but if he was being honest he really just wanted to sleep. Also the thought of having Elizabeth taking care of him for the evening didn't sound half bad either.

After a quick chat with Steve, both Jack and Elizabeth were cleared to head out for the day. By some miracle they had a whole 3 days off which Jack was so thankful for.

"Abigail would you mind if we made a few stops before we head back to the hotel." Elizabeth asked, "I could use a few supplies before we buckle down for the night."

"Not a problem, just let me know when and where." Abigail nodded understandingly, "Poor Jack sure looks terrible. I don't blame you for wanting to keep an eye on him tonight."

Elizabeth ran into to the local grocery store grabbing the classic sick essentials. _Cold meds, snacks, tissues, maybe some ginger ale….does Jack like ginger ale? Maybe I'll grab a few options just to be safe.  
_ Before they reached the hotel Elizabeth had also made a quick stop at a restaurant to grab some dinner. She found this super cute Vietnamese place on one of her runs that sold the best chicken soup she had ever had. It would be an easy thing to reheat if they didn't eat it right away. _Plus who doesn't love soup when they are sick she mused_.

The drive back to their hotel was over before Jack even realized they had left the set. As much as he wanted to chat with Elizabeth the exhaustion overtook him again and he was asleep before they hit the highway. Once again he found himself being shaken awake by Elizabeth. _This is something I could get used to….._

 _"_ You sure you don't need any help up the room," Abigail asked mostly directing her question to Elizabeth. "It's all good, I'm sure we can manage. Thanks again for your help this evening, see you on Tuesday."

With that Jack and Elizabeth made their way to the elevator. The fever was making Jack feel very unsteady on his feet, he felt Elizabeth slide her arm around his waist to keep him upright. He was too tired to fully embrace the moment. "So while you were sleeping I grabbed a few things for you tonight." Elizabeth chatted as they made their way into his room. She helped him onto his bed and started removing his shoes. "I'm not a child Elizabeth,"Jack protested, though secretly he didn't mind having her this close. "Anyways as I was saying I grabbed some soup, meds, and tissues. Just hang on a sec while I grab you something to drink. Oh, and take two of these." She handed Jack two white pills, "It's just Advil, which will help bring your fever down and hopefully take the edge off your headache." Jack nodded gratefully thankful he didn't have to make the trip himself. "You know you didn't have to do all this Elizabeth." She waved her hand in front of his face before he could finish. "Jack you are clearly sick, let me HELP YOU."

It didn't take much convincing on his part. "I guess you are right. It wouldn't _that_ awful to have to hang out here." He gave her a playful smile and tossed one of the drinks in her direction per her request.

"Well, I guess the medicine is kicking in. You seem to have found the classic Thornton sarcasm again." She rolled her eyes at him.

The two of them got comfortable on Jack's bed, they settled on watching some 90s rom-com starring Sandra Bullock.

Elizabeth was engrossed in the movie and Jack kept stealing glances at her. There was something about the dimly light room that was giving her a very alluring glow. The medicine seemed to be dulling the pain in his but he still felt exhausted. _I'll just rest my eyes for a couple minutes. Every time I'm with her I feel so relaxed….this just feels so right…._

The movie was just about over when Elizabeth looked over at Jack who had been terribly quiet for the last little bit. He looked slightly less pale than this afternoon which was a positive. _He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping. So innocent and vulnerable….gosh he has long eyelashes._ She slide off the bed and started gathering up the mess from their impromptu picnic dinner. Elizabeth was just about to head back to her room when Jack mumbling and was getting pretty agitated in his sleep. Once again she knelt by his bed and started rubbing his arm trying to get him to wake up. "Jack….it's Elizabeth. You are having a bad dream. Wake up…."

Jack blinked his eyes open momentarily confused by his surroundings. "Ugh, I fell asleep on you again…I'm sorry Elizabeth."

"For the millionth time, Jack. I said don't even worry about it." Without thinking she reached up and bushed his hair off his forehead. "Feels like your fever is back again. You should really get some rest." There was a long pause before Jack spoke. The air felt thick and heavy and he was very aware Elizabeth was planning on leaving which he wasn't at all prepared for. Before he could stop himself the words "stay." just came tumbling out. _Oh my gosh, Jack you are such an IDIOT!_ Elizabeth continued looking at him for what felt hours. "Okay, if you want. I don't mind at all." Now she was sitting beside him again on the bed much to both their surprise she bent down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. _Elizabeth you kissed him AGAIN. What is wrong with you?_

In an effort to avoid any sort of awkwardness between them, Elizabeth smiled and quickly stood up. "So I just need to run back to my room for a few things but I'll be back in 10. That okay?"

Jack nodded, feeling somewhat dizzy though he wasn't sure if it was the fever or the fact Elizabeth would be staying in his room overnight.

Once she reached her hotel room Elizabeth quickly grabbed her toothbrush and changed into sweats, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. _Don't obsess about it, he's so sick he probably won't even remember it anyway._

The room was dark and quiet when she returned. _He must have fallen asleep again._ She set up herself on the pull-out couch.

Just as Elizabeth was drifting off to sleep she swore she heard Jack mumbling in her name in sleep…. "Elizabeth….beautiful. Love you."

 _Did I hear him right? He's asleep Elizabeth and delirious with a fever. Don't read into it…._

She couldn't quite put a finger on it, or maybe she wasn't ready to admit it but things between her and Jack were changing. Over the last few months, she'd developed such a connection with him. They often spent their days off together and despite working together every day they never seemed to lack conversation. Her last relationship left her feeling bruised and she couldn't seem to break down the walls.

It took a bit but the soft rhythm of Jack's breathing finally lulled Elizabeth to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Say Something

Jack woke up before his alarm went off and made his way to his dresser. The sun was starting to make its way through the windows. It was hard to believe that today marked the last official day of shooting. _The last 8 months have flown by. I can't believe that I won't see Elizabeth every day._ This thought made Jack's heart sink a bit. He had grown so used to her being around all the time. It wasn't uncommon for them to spend their days off together relaxing or exploring the city. Things just felt so right and he couldn't believe how attached he was getting to her. _She keeps giving me signs, I can't tell if she wants more than friendship…I don't want to scare her off._

Elizabeth found herself lying awake in her bed. She spent the night tossing and turning and woke up feeling exhausted. Most mornings she looked forward to her days with Jack, but today would be their last day filming together. Tomorrow she would be flying back to Boston to see her family. That in itself brought up all kinds of nerves.

As she wandered over to the window she found herself lost in thought. _Not sure if I'm ready to leave this place. It's been such a life changing experience. And then there's the whole Jack thing. I hate the idea of not seeing him every day. Boston is so far from LA._ Elizabeth managed to pull herself together and made her way downstairs. Normally she would text Jack to see if he wanted to join her, but she wasn't ready to face him just yet. _Today calls for the biggest coffee_ , she sighed sadly.

Elizabeth had just stepped off of the elevator lost in thought when she found herself colliding with something solid. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." She still hadn't made eye contact with the stranger she nearly tripped over.

"Looks like it's YOUR turn to knock me over Thatcher." Jack laughed. "You look a little rough this morning." He joked eying Elizabeth up and down. Elizabeth shoved him and rolled her eyes. "If you must know I didn't sleep well. I guess the idea of seeing my parents tomorrow is bothering me more than I thought." _Also the fact that I won't see you everyday…._ though she didn't dare say that out loud.

Jack knew her enough not push any further, at least not this early in the morning. "Well, hopefully, this helps a bit with the exhaustion." He handed her a drink. "Is that a tall Starbucks double shot…." before she could continue he interrupted "half sweet with coconut milk. Why yes it is. I'm told it's your favorite." He winked at her. There was just something about a guy knowing her coffee order that sent a shiver down her back. It was a small thing but Charles never took the time to remember what her favorite drink was.

"Thanks so much Jack. I know it's silly but it really does help." Elizabeth smiled as she took a sip of her drink. Jack glanced at his watch, they still had another 30mins before Abigail would be picking them up.

"Did you want to go for a walk? Abigail won't be here for another half an hour and it's already sunny and warm."

"That actually sounds great, Jack." The two made their way out of the hotel and towards the beach which was only a couple blocks away. Elizabeth was quiet and found herself stealing glances at Jack. She was trying so hard to shake herself out of this funk but so far wasn't having much luck.

Jack noticed she didn't seem like her usual bubbly self which had him worried. _I wish she could let me in. I want so much to help her feel better._ Once they reached the beach they found a bench to sit on and take in the view. "You know I think this is the same place we sat when our shoot first started back in the summer." Elizabeth mused. "It's hard to believe it's already been 8 months since that day." The thought made her shiver a bit which Jack noticed. "Elizabeth you are freezing, here take my sweater." Before she could object Jack had already wrapped it around her, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. She offered him a soft smile and then turned her gaze back to the water.

Jack found himself overwhelmed by emotion. It felt like one of _those_ moments, the ones that you remember every sound, smell. The way the wind would blow her hair which would frustrate her…or the way her quiet sadness was so damn beautiful. _To hell with it…._ Before Jack could overthink it, he pulled Elizabeth in for a hug, wrapping his arms around her and gently allowing his fingertips to softly caress her back. "You know you can talk to me if you want. No pressure though. I just want you know I'm here for you."

Elizabeth wasn't sure if she was more surprised by Jack pulling her into a hug or the fact that she willingly let herself melt into his chest. _Can I just stay here forever….it doesn't matter how awful I feel he always manages to make me feel better._

"I know," she sighed, looking up at him "honestly I think it's just going to be hard to leave this place and the people that I've connected with so much." Elizabeth paused "not seeing you every day is going to be tough." Once again she turned her attention to the ocean not wanting to get lost in his eyes and not confident she could hide the emotion in hers much longer. _Ugh…it's so easy to get lost in those eyes…_

Jack could feel his pulse quicken a bit. _Did she just admit that she was going to miss me?_

"Elizabeth…" his tone was soft and had an almost shy timid quality to it which she found unusual. As she turned to meet his gaze Jack spoke again, "Elizabeth…the last 8 months have been so amazing. Honestly, it's the first time in a long time I've actually made friends on set. The last few movies I've done I felt like everyone just assumed I was a jerk and never bothered to get to know me." He was rambling now yet he couldn't stop himself. Nerves were getting the better of him and he was suddenly very aware that neither of them had broken their embrace. _You gotta tell her man. Just be honest and say what you are feeling for once in your life._

"Before we leave I just wanted to say that I uh…umm…" before Jack could finish his sentence Elizabeth's phone started ringing. "Oh my gosh! Jack, it's 8:45! We are so late!" she hissed before answering her phone.

"Hey Abigail, I'm so sorry that we kept you waiting. Jack and I will be there in 10mins!"

They quickly stood up and made their way back to the hotel both offering their apologies to Abigail for delaying their departure. "Not a big deal. They changed your call time just after I arrived. I remember when Peter and I were first dating we would often lose track of time." She offered a teasing smile at the blushing couple and climbed into the van before they could protest that were not in fact dating. _Well not yet at least,_ Jack sighed.

Try as she might Elizabeth couldn't keep her eyes open and found herself drifting off to sleep. _She really was exhausted. I could watch her sleep all day…_ Jack found himself once again lost in thought. It seemed to happen a lot more frequently when he was around her.

"Have you told her yet?" Abigail interrupted his thoughts.

"Told her what?!" Jack replied somewhat taken aback by how forward Abigail was this morning. She turned to look at him.

"Jack I'm not stupid. I see how you look her. Heck, I see how _she_ looks at you." He swallowed, suddenly his mouth felt like the desert.

"I umm…she is…" he stumbled over his words. "We are friends, that's it. Besides she just broke up with that Charles guy."

Abigail rolled her eyes at him. "First that was 8 months ago and second you are way more than just friends."

Her features soften a bit, "Jack I'm not trying to push you but as someone who has lost a loved one, I know how short life can be. Don't let your fears hold you back from telling her how you feel." Jack ran his hands through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know Abigail. We are just such great friends I don't want to scare her off. What if she doesn't want anything more than that? The prospect of her leaving tomorrow has my stomach in knots."

Abigail gave his hand a squeeze. "Speaking as someone wiser, and maybe a bit older." She teased, "isn't it worth taking the risk and being honest with her? What if she does want more? I bet you have spent more time assuming the worst…"

"Was I that obvious?" Jack asked sheepishly.

"To me? Yes. Though apparently not to Elizabeth." Abigail laughed, "you two are really meant to be. Both completely clueless about each other's feelings." _Is Abigail really right? Does Elizabeth really want more than just a friendship?_

After their chat this morning he was more determined than ever to talk to Elizabeth before she flew to Boston. The conversation between Jack and Abigail was cut short as Elizabeth started to stir.

"Hey sleepyhead, we are at work now." Jack laughed as she tried to hide a yawn.

There was a whirlwind of activity on set. Both Jack and Elizabeth found themselves pulled in five different directions as the crew tried to wrap up the last bit of filming. It was so busy their lunch consisted of a 5min break to grab whatever they could find before starting up for the afternoon. The craziness of the day also brought some positive news. Turns out Elizabeth would need to fly out to LA in a week to so they could re-record some of the dialogue before it went off to the networks. _So I will get to see her again,_ Jack thought.

Elizabeth sat down beside Jack with a loud sigh. "What a day! I didn't think that things could get busier. Turns out I was so wrong." She laughed. "I think I'll be wrapped up here in the next 30mins. Did you want to grab some food tonight?" Jack asked. "I know you are probably exhausted but it's our last night together so I thought it might be fun." He gave her a hopeful glance, silently wishing that she would agree. _Maybe tonight I'll have the guts to tell her…._

Elizabeth let her eyes softly close. "Oh I am exhausted but it would be a shame to waste my last night here by going to bed early." She laughed. _Honestly, I want to spend every last second with you before I leave._

"I'm just going to head back to my trailer and get changed. Just come find me when you are done." Once again they parted ways and Jack made his way back to the set to finish up the rest of his work.

"That's a wrap!" The director called. _Finally, I just want to find Elizabeth and make the most of our last night together._ The 30mins Jack was promised turned in more like an hour. He just hoped that she was still feeling up for dinner together.

Elizabeth had gotten changed and touched up her hair. She was feeling nervous and out of sorts as she glanced at her watch for the 5th time in 3minutes. _Why am I so anxious? I've gone out with him so many times. We basically spent all of our time off together. He clearly just wants to be friends…._

After what felt like hours, she finally saw him walking towards her trailer. _Gosh, I'm going to miss him._ Jack knocked on the door before slowly opening it. "Hey Elizabeth," he smiled. "So sorry it took so long. You ready to go? I just ran into Abigail and she's waiting for us."

"Don't worry about Jack, it's your job. I get it. " Elizabeth grabbed her coat and they walked up to meet Abigail.

"Crazy to think we are leaving this place for the last time. I really going to miss it." Elizabeth broke the silence. "I know. This crew really did end up with becoming the second home me." Jack sighed taking in the scenery. The drive back to the hotel was uneventful. Jack, Elizabeth, and Abigail spent the time quietly chatting and wishing each other good luck on their next adventures.

When they reached the hotel Abigail gave Elizabeth a big hug "Goodbye Elizabeth. I'm going miss taking you to work every day."

"I'll miss you too Abigail! Promise you'll keep in touch." She nodded and the younger woman stepped back allowing Jack to say his goodbye.

"Abigail. It's going to be tough not seeing you every day." Abigail gave Jack's shoulders a squeeze. "I'll miss you too Jack. And Jack, don't forget to tell her." She spoke softly. They broke apart and Abigail offered Jack a knowing smile. _I really hope they let each other in. Love is so worth the risk._

Jack and Elizabeth decided to walk down to the little restaurant that quickly became their go-to stop when they were in the city. The conversation flowed easily just like it always did. As much as they tried to deny it anyone watching could see they were more than friends. They had plans to walk down to the beach after dinner but by the time Elizabeth checked her watch it was already almost 10:30 pm.

"Wow, that night flew past fast. How were we here for almost 3hrs?" She stood up and Jack paid the bill despite Elizabeth offering multiple times. As they walked back to the hotel the conversation died down. Both were very aware that their night together was quickly closing.

"I know it's late but did want to come back to my room?" Elizabeth asked shyly. _Elizabeth?! Asking a guy to come to your hotel room does NOT send the message you want to be "just friends"_

Much to her surprise, Jack agreed. "Have you finished packing yet?" He asked making conversation. She gave him a sheepish look. "Not at all. Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to do it. Plus I don't leave till after 4 pm tomorrow so I'll have time."

They settled down on the bed and decided to watch a movie, which was their way of extending the evening. It wasn't long before Jack noticed Elizabeth's breathing had slowed and she had shifted her body so it was leaning closer to him. _Does she know what she's doing to me? She smells like vanilla and looks like an angel._ Jack laughed at himself for being so cheesy. He had every intention of leaving but before he knew it he found himself drifting off to sleep.

A half-asleep Elizabeth tried to get comfortable when she was suddenly very aware that she wasn't alone in the bed. _We must have fallen asleep watching the movie._ Despite the fact that his presence being so close to her sent her anxiety into over-drive she wasn't ready to let him go.

Jack sensed he was being watched and slowly opened his eyes. Much to his surprise Elizabeth was looking up at him with a shy smile on her face.

"Hey," she spoke softly, "I guess we must have fallen asleep watching the movie. Hopefully, you slept okay." It was one of the most comfortable sleep Jack had in a long time. The comforting smell of vanilla had settled into his shirt. _Anytime she falls asleep near me I feel better._ There was something about having her close to him that made him feel like he was home. _Sort of like coming home to my mom's homemade cookies._ He smiled to himself.

"I was so exhausted that I would have fallen asleep on the floor." Jack joked. By now Elizabeth had shifted positions and was sitting up on her bed. She had a rather glum look on her face. Likely due to the realization that in a few hours she would have to head to the airport.

"I guess I better start packing." She groaned, not wanting to move. _How am I going to leave him?_ Jack shared a similar expression. _Gosh, I'm going to miss her. Should I tell her?_

 _"_ I don't mind helping a bit if you want? Or I could go grab you a coffee and some breakfast?" Elizabeth perked up a bit at the sound of coffee. _Aww he knows me so well._ _Maybe that will help motivate me to get this done._

"Actually Jack, that would be so amazing!" He smiled, loving that he could make her happy. Even it was something small. Jack made his way out of the hotel in search of coffee while Elizabeth finally started tackling her packing.

A couple hours later they were downstairs in the hotel lobby. "Well that's everything," she sighed taking a sip of her drink. Jack nodded slowly. "The taxi should be here to pick you up anytime." As much as he wanted to join her at the airport he knew that his heart couldn't handle it. The pair walked outside to wait for Elizabeth's ride to the airport.

Elizabeth's taxi arrived and Jack pulled her into a hug. _I'm going to miss this…. "_ You know Elizabeth I'm really going to miss you. I know we will see each other next but Ive gotten used to our breakfasts together." He joked trying to make light of the situation.

When they pulled apart he handed her a small wrapped gift. "This is for you. I promise it's not much." He tried to swallow the lump that was now starting to form in his throat.

"Jack…you didn't need to get me anything." Elizabeth looked genuinely shocked. She made a move to open it before Jack stopped her. "Like I said it's nothing. But if you could, open it on the plane." She nodded searching his eyes for some kind of sign. _To hell with it…_ She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him another hug. When they pulled away she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. The sparks coursing through his body made him shiver. _I hope she didn't notice that. Hold it together man._

They had delayed the inevitable for as long as they could. Elizabeth slide into the taxi and Jack shut the door. He stood watching as her car disappeared into the traffic _. It's not like we won't see each other again. I'll see her next week in LA. The way I'm behaving you'd think she was moving Mars._

Elizabeth held the box Jack had given her. She gave her word that she would wait till the plane to open it, even though the suspense was killing her. Within 2hrs she was finally in the air heading back to Boston.

 _Now or never…_

She gently unwrapped the gift. Inside was a small photo frame, a picture of the two of them together. It was from their visit to Capilano Suspension Bridge. She had just conquered her fear of walking across the bridge and Jack insisted in documenting it. _He's such a nerd sometimes._ She smiled to herself.

Underneath the frame was a small piece of paper. Elizabeth slowly unwrapped it which reviled a handwritten note from Jack. Her heart was now beating her chest as she started reading it….

 _Dear Elizabeth._

 _This feels like a bit of a cop out, I tried so many times to be honest with you before you left. I want to thank you for the last 8months together. It's been so long since I've been able to open up to someone. Actually honestly you are the only person that I've ever felt so comfortable with. You make me want to a better person and when I'm with you I feel like able to conquer any of my dreams. Our friendship means everything to me. Now I'm rambling and avoiding the point I am trying to get to is that….I'm falling for you…_

 _I have spent the last 7.5months trying to fight it but it's impossible. I think may be there's a chance you may feel the same. Please don't feel like I'm pressuring you. Our friendship is too important to me and I couldn't stand to loose you. I'll wait for you and give you all the time you need._

 _I miss you…._

 _Yours always._

 _Jack xoxo_

Elizabeth re-read the note over and over, her heart racing with each moment. _He's what? Is he falling for me? All those feelings I've been feeling when I'm with him. Am I falling for him too?_

This new information from Jack was sending her emotions into overdrive. Could they even work together? For one they currently lived on opposite sides of the country. He came from a long line of successful actors and she, well she wasn't even sure her family would acknowledge her when she got home.

She folded the paper and placed it on top of the frame. If you asked her 6months ago if she could open her heart again, the answer would be no but now the idea didn't seem so scary. Elizabeth closed her eyes and her thoughts turned to the prospect of her and Jack becoming more than just friends.

 _Maybe I could just let him in this time…_


	8. Chapter 8

Okay let's try this again. Apparently I am NOT very good with technology. Thanks so much for all the support- I am determined to finish this story.

Chapter 8: Feels like home

Jack walked into his condo just outside of LA. _Feels strange to be back here…been gone so long that hotels feel more like home._ He let his mind wander to Elizabeth. It had only been a day since she left for Boston and he still hadn't heard from her. Not that he expected to but hey a guy can dream. It was hard but he tried not to read too much into it. _There's a 3hr time difference, plus she is probably exhausted from travelling. Should I text her? Or am I being too pushy? No don't text her you idiot…. I just miss her_. Over the next few hours Jack unpacked and made his apartment semi livable again, stopped in at the local Whole Foods to stock up on some much needed grocery items. Honestly he was doing everything he could think of to keep his thoughts off of Elizabeth.

By the time Elizabeth landed it was the middle of the night. She was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. The words from Jack's letter still swirled around in her head. Her father had sent a car to take her home. F _igures he couldn't bother coming to pick me up himself,_ she her and Charles separated she moved in with younger sister Julie. Growing up Elizabeth and Julie had always been close. If she was being honest it was Julie that had inspired her to take the acting job. The youngest Thatcher daughter was always one that forged her own path in life. Never seemed to care what her family or friends thought of her. She quietly made her way up to her bedroom, not wanting to wake her sister. As much as she missed Julie, she just wasn't in the headspace to talk. _I just need sleep. My brain can't even process what has happened the last 24hrs._

Sun streamed into the bedroom and Elizabeth stirred, thankfully her exhaustion took over last night and she slept like a rock. After rubbing her eyes, she rolled over to checked her phone. She told herself it was to see the time but secretly hoped Jack had sent her a message. _He said he'd give me space, he's not going to_ _reach out until I do_. She took a deep breath and shook off the thoughts, slowly making her way downstairs. Julie was sitting at the kitchen island sipping coffee and scrolling through her phone.

"ELIZABETH!" She jumped up to give her a hug. "I've missed you so much. I can't believe I didn't hear you come in last night. We have so much to catch up on." Elizabeth was so relieved to see her sister. If anyone could help her make sense of things between her and Jack it was Julie. Though Julie was a hopeless romantic at heart and had a history of running headfirst into relationships.

"Oh Julie, I've missed you so much too. It been such an amazing experience." She made her way over to pour herself a cup of coffee. Julie gave her a questioning look. "For someone that just told me how amazing of a time you had you sure don't look happy. I feel like there's more to this story….." Elizabeth sighed and took a sip of her coffee, _I may as well tell her…_

"I'm not lying, the job was amazing. I stepped so far out of my comfort zone and gained so much confidence and knowledge about myself."  
"But…." Julie interjected. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, clearly her sister knew her too well, and continued her story,  
"So the co-star I was working with Jack." Julie nodded knowingly, Elizabeth may have mentioned him in her texts over the last 6 months.

"He's so sweet and we had such a great time together. We really did become great friends." She took a deep breath before continuing. "When I was leaving he gave me a photo of us together during the first week together. He wrote me a note, saying that he wanted us to be more than friends, that he was falling for me…." By now Elizabeth was pacing the kitchen looking uncomfortable.  
"Well, do you want to be more than friends?" Julie asked, not one to sugar coat anything.  
"That's the thing, I just don't know if can let down my guard. After Charles and I broke up it took months for me to feel like myself again. With Jack I don't think I could recover." Elizabeth ran her hand through her hair and joined her sister on the couch.  
"Lizzie, from the sounds of things Jack is a COMPLETELY different person than Charles. He really does care about you and has been so supportive during you time in Vancouver. Plus you know me I'm always one for romantic gestures, that letter and photo combo would have done it for me." Julie gave her sister a teasing look and Elizabeth rolled her eyes. emI guess Julie has some points. It just so hard to let him in completely. _He's not someone that I could ever get over._

It took awhile for Jack to into a restless sleep. Try as he might he couldn't get Elizabeth out of his head. He still hadn't heard from her since he'd sent her off in Vancouver. Jack rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time, he groaned when the clock read 6am. emUgh, may as well get up and go for a run. /emHe spent the morning catching up on the housework that had built up over the last 8months. Jack had his brother Tom check on his place but they had different standard when it came to cleaning, his apartment wasn't up to his usual standards. The next time Jack looked at the clock on the stove it was almost 12pm. He yawned. _I don't think I've had any coffee yet. No wonder I'm still tired._ Over the course of the morning he had lost track of his phone. He scrolled through the notifications, a couple missed calls from his brother, mum and agent. Then he saw Elizabeth's name pop up, she had finally sent him a message.

 **Hey Jack. Sorry I haven't called. Still recovering from jet-lag haha. Thanks so much for the photo. Can we chat about everything when I come to LA next week? Please don't over think this. Elizabeth xoxo**

Jack re-read the message over a few times. Sure it wasn't the exact outcome he had hoped for, but the chances of her calling and professing her love to him seemed a tad unrealistic. He shook his head at himself. _Jack you are ridiculous, pull yourself together man._

 **Hey Lizzie, don't worry I'll be here to talk whenever you are ready. Missing you Jack xoxo**

The next week flew by for both Elizabeth and Jack. They had full schedules that were spent catching up on the lives that had put on pause the last 6months. Between visits with family and friends there had been little downtime. However, they had managed to steal a few moments to send each other texts but had little opportunity to really connect with each other. Before she knew it Elizabeth was packing up her suitcase to fly to LA. _I can't believe that I'm going to see Jack again, I have no idea what to say to him_ , she sighed. the closer she got to the day, the more her anxiety increased. She missed seeing Jack everyday, but still was struggling with the idea of taking their friendship to the next level.

Lost in thought she walked through the arrivals gate, "Elizabeth!" She heard her name and looked up, surprised to see Jack staring at her with signature smile. In his hand he had a small bunch of dahlia's. "Jack, what are you doing here? I thought they were sending one of the drivers." She smiled and gave him a quick hug, and he handed her the flowers with a shy grin. "Well, that is true. However yesterday I had a meeting with the director and a few staff. I offered to pick you up. Figured that I could give you a tour of LA before we start work tomorrow, " He Shut up Jack you are rambling again. /emBefore he could continue Elizabeth spoke. "I should have known. Hey maybe while we are at the airport you can find some poor traveller to run over." She gave him a playful shove.  
"Jack grabbed her luggage and they made their way to his car. It had been years since Elizabeth had been to California. She took a deep breath of the ocean air. Suddenly she was brought back to their last night in Vancouver. Just the two of them sitting on the beach over looking the water. _I remember everything about that night_.

"Elizabeth…." Jack's voice brought her back to reality. "So I figured we could drop off some things at your hotel and then I play tour guide." The brunette nodded. "Yes Jack that sounds great, looking forward to seeing the city. It's been years since I've been to LA.

An hour later the two them were walking together on beach near Santa Monica Pier. They had falling into a comfortable silence. _I guess I should tell him. I love being his friend but I just don't think I can risk things changing between us_. Elizabeth took a sip of her smoothie. "Hey Jack, so about your note. I've been doing a lot of thinking about what you said. We work so well together and I'd hate for anything to change that." She stopped and sat down on a beach, finding the courage to look at him. If he was disappointed or upset she couldn't tell which offered some consolation. "You've been such an amazing friend to me and I don't want to lose you." She gave Jack's hand a gentle squeeze. _Only friends, well I guess I'll have to make it work. We have so much fun together. I'm sure it's just a crush and over time I will get over over it._

The realization that he hadn't responded to Elizabeth hit him like a ton of bricks. "Don't even worry about it. You are stuck with me as a friend." Jack gave her a reassuring smile. "Seriously it's totally fine. I'm totally fine." He wasn't completely lying. It wouldn't be easy but if he had to he could get over

Before Elizabeth could catch her breath, the week was already over. _I only have another two days with Jack before I'm back to Boston for 5months_. She sighed, but was determined to make the most of their weekend together. Earlier in the week the director had informed them that their series was picked up for another season, this time with a TV movie included.

Jack invited Elizabeth to spend Friday night with him and his family. At 5pm Jack drove to pick up Elizabeth, he had enjoyed spending the week working with her again. Suddenly he was hit with nerves, s _he's meeting my family, hopefully they don't scare her off. I hope she doesn't think that this is a date. I told her I was okay with being friends._ Jack's mum could be a bit brash but always had his best interest at heart and Jack's brother, well younger brothers had a knack for embarrassing older siblings.

Elizabeth was waiting in lobby when she saw Jack pull up. He looked relaxed and causal in jeans and a t-shirt. emHe looks so cute, those eyes….WOAH! Elizabeth back it up. _You told him that you wanted to be friends. JUST FRIENDS._ She took a deep breath and walked outside to greet Jack. The pair exchanged easy conversation any anxiety or nervous feeling had quickly fallen away

Before Jack knew it he was pulling up to his mum's driveway. Jack opened the door and called out, "Mum we are here."

A woman responded with, "In the kitchen." Elizabeth followed Jack down the hallway into centre of the house. Jack's mum, bother and uncle were all mulling around the island. There was a loving, exciting energy floating around the room. It was loud and there was so much laughter and conversation. A stark contrast from family dinners she was used to. _I don't think my family has ever laughed this much together._

Jack walked up to his mum and gave her a big hug before doing introductions. "Hey Mum, this is Elizabeth. We worked together in Vancouver. Remember I told you about her. " Jack turned to his co-star, " Elizabeth this is my mum Charlotte." The older woman wiped her hands on her apron before pulling a surprised Elizabeth into hug. "Oh Lizzie, it's so nice to finally meet you. Jack hasn't stopped talking about your adventures together in Canada." Jack looked at the ground, trying not make eye contact with Elizabeth. "Hi Charlotte, thanks for inviting me for dinner. You have such a lovely home."

Jack made his way through introductions with the rest of the family. His brother Tom behaved for the most part and kept the embarrassing stories to a minimum. Elizabeth loved watching Jack interact with his family _. He's so sweet with his mum. Gosh the way Tom and him banter reminds me of my relationship with Julie…_

Charlotte stood up and started to clear away the dishes. "Oh Ms. Thorton let me help you." Elizabeth spoke. Jack's mum tried to wave off her help but Elizabeth wouldn't let it happen. The two women worked together loading the dish washer. "Lizzie, would you mind helping me and start up a pot of coffee." Charlotte asked as she put the pie in the oven. Elizabeth nodded and busied herself with the task at hand. "You and Jack are close…." The words came out more as a statement than a question. Elizabeth turned around, "Umm…yeah I guess we are. We really connected during our time in Vancouver and became great friends." Charlotte gave her a knowing smile. "Well my Jack isn't one to bring home his "friends." Just keep that in mind." She gave Elizabeth's shoulders a gentle squeeze as she grabbed the dessert. _Am I really that obvious? Could I really let him in?_ She followed Jack's mum into the dining room.

"I haven't laughed that much in a long time." Jack broke through the silence as they made their way to his car. Elizabeth smiled, "It was a really awesome night. Thanks so much for inviting me tonight. You and Tom are hilarious together." They pulled onto the highway as the conversation lulled Elizabeth noticed the song playing on the radio.

Something in your eyes  
Makes me want to lose myself  
Makes me want to lose myself  
In your arms  
There's something in your voice  
Makes my heart beat fast  
Hope this feeling lasts  
The rest of my life  
If you knew how lonely my life has been  
And how long I've been so alone  
If you knew how I wanted someone to come along  
And change my life the way you've done

Something about the words pulled her in. She glanced over at Jack who was concentrating on driving. There was something about the way the light hit him. Words from Jack's mum floating around her head. _Am I really the first person, first girl he's brought home? I just can't believe how welcoming his family was it was like I belonged there..._

It feels like home to me  
It feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where  
I come from  
It feels like home to me

 _This song….what a perfect way to end the night. To hell with fear I have to tell him…he's not Charles. What if this is worth the risk._ 1"em

"Jack I umm…." Before Elizabeth could finish the sentence there was a loud bang and everything went black.

A semi truck a few cars in-front of them had blown a tire, Jack tried to stop but it was too close.

"Elizabeth!" Panic was starting to set in, Jack shook the women next him. She was unconscious but clearly still breathing. Elizabeth began to stir, "Jack….I umm….what happened?" She looked confused and disoriented. "Shh…it's okay, you're okay." He spoke softly trying to keep her calm. "I have called 911, they should be here any minute."  
Jack moved closer to Elizabeth, looking her over. It was then that he noticed her leg was pinned between the dashboard and her seat. "Jack….my leg…it hurts." She looked at him with sad scared eyes. He inched closer to her and began to run his hands through her hair. His main goal was to keep her calm and relaxed. "I know I know…it won't be long now. Focus on your breath." He was breathing with her now, trying to keep himself calm.

It felt like hours but the sounds of sirens started to move closer. "Elizabeth, the ambulance is coming….you are going to be okay. I'm so sorry…." Elizabeth's voice was soft. "Jack it's okay, it's not your fault. Just keep talking to me…." The song that I had played on the radio was still floating around in her head. She was in so pain but being with Jack gave her a sense of peace. She knew that no matter what happened Jack would keep her safe…

Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong  
A window breaks down a long dark street  
And a siren wails in the night  
But I'm alright 'cause I have you here with me  
And I can almost see through the dark there is light  
If you knew how much this moment means to me  
And how long I've waited for your touch

If you knew how happy you are making me

I never thought that I'd love anyone so much

It feels like home to me

It feels like home to me

It feels like I'm all the way back where

I come from 


End file.
